Social justice dept prepares 33 annual action plans

New Delhi, Sep 9 For the first time, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has prepared a detailed list of 33 action plans for all its schemes this year.

The 33 annual action plans have been prepared for economic and educational development and social empowerment of the people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), senior citizens, victims of drug abuse, transgenders, and De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes (DNTs).

These action plans are contained in a book with an objective to give clear targets and milestones to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the participating state governments and NGOs.

Launching the book recently, Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot had said that the government of India is committed to achieve the vision of building an inclusive society wherein members of the poor and marginalised groups are empowered by carrying out educational, economic, social development and rehabilitative programmes under the Annual Action Plan 2020-21.

In the financial year 2019-20, total expenditure incurred in different schemes was Rs 8,602.53 crore with 2.35 crore beneficiaries whereas in the current financial year, the budget has been increased to Rs 9.933.33 crore (15.46 per cent increase) and the number of beneficiaries are likely to go up substantially with an anticipated 4.91 crore beneficiaries (110.6 per cent increase).

The Top Class Scheme has been expanded from 1,500 seats to 4,200 seats per annum and top institutions like IITs, NITs, and top NIRF ranked institutions have also been added.

The scheme for National Overseas Scholarship for SCs has been revised for the students who have taken admission in reputed (top 1,000) global institutions.

Under PMAGY, 3,584 more SC majority villages have been taken up for integrated development, taking the total to 13,199 villages.

The National Action Plan on Drug Demand Reduction scheme has been launched in 272 districts most affected by substance abuse. This scheme was launched on August 15 this year and will continue up to March 31, 2021.

Integrated Programme for Rehabilitation of Beggar, a project for comprehensive rehabilitation of people engaged in the act of begging, has been taken up by the ministry.

This project would be run in 10 pilot cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Patna, Nagpur and Indore.

The National Action Plan for Senior Citizens plan aims to provide at least one senior citizen home in each district this year.

National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) aims to ensure the setting up of a national helpline against atrocities on members of SCs and STs with a web based self-service portal for generation of awareness and effective implementation of the PCR Act 1955 and the POA Act 1989.

( With inputs from IANS )